Information From My Ignorance | Exodus 16:15

Is there anyone who needs to hear a word from God this morning?

Amen.

There is an, um, there's an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I pray that you accept. Been invited fellowship with me once again in the book of Exodus, Exodus chapter number 16. Last Sunday, this one verse here held me hostage. I've been asking the question, what am I going to say concerning this verse? Yesterday I thought I was going to have to preach different day. God told me, you heard me right the first time. Exodus chapter number 16. I'm on mine. Exodus chapter number 16, and we are going to go down to verse number 50. The word of God says, when Israelites saw it, they asked one another, what is it? Because they didn't know what it was. Moses told them, it is the bread that the Lord giveth you to eat. You may be seated. We thank God for his word, for the perpetual nature that lasts. When God provided, when they saw it, they said, what is it? Just a few moments, I want to challenge our hearts, hopefully encourage our hearts from the thought. Information from my ignorance. Information from my ignorance. Those two words don't go together. I, uh, since a young lad, much younger than I am now, I would look forward coming home from school, and I would wait 4:30. At 4:30 every afternoon, every weekday afternoon, me and my friend Alex Trebek were going to have a meeting. Alex Trebek, host of the game show Jeopardy. I was intrigued by Jeopardy, and I learned actually a lot of the things I know today. I learned it by watching Jeopardy. You know something strange about this trivia game show? It's not just simply asking a question and then answering. But the only way a contestant can actually succeed is if they present the answer as a question. For instance, I ask the question, what is 2 2? You can't just answer and say 4. The clue is, is 2 2, and the contestant must say what is full, which lets us know that often the success that we are looking for in life is going to stem from us still having questions.

And I know that we have a lot of know-it-alls in the house this morning where you have to know exactly what God is doing how God is doing it, when God is doing it, through whom God is doing it. But for many of us in here today, the good news is that there have been many things that I've received in my life. There have been many blessings that I've obtained in my life. And on this 24th day of August 2025, Bridget Jones's birthday. Many of the blessings that we've received, I don't know how I got them. And I made up in my mind that I'm not going to spend another day trying to figure out how. I'm just gonna worry about the who. And brothers and sisters, I want to let someone know today that you serve a God who can still blow your mind. He can still answer prayers before you even prayed it. He can still provide before the need. He can still make a way before the issue comes. He can still heal your body before the sickness. He can still save your soul before you're born. Is there anybody in the house today who, when you look back over the past year, things should have gone a different way, things should be a different way. But somebody today can confess that I am a recipient of the grace of God, and I don't know exactly when God did it, I don't know exactly how God did it, but I received faith today knowing that it was nobody but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It was nobody but the Alpha and the Omega. It was nobody but the beginning and the end. I want to tell my doctor, thank you, but it really wasn't you. I want to tell my job, thank you for the paycheck, but it was not you. Because when men leave me and when men forsake me, God is still on my side. And somebody in here today is in a season in your life where you're wondering how it's gonna work out. So let me go ahead and spoil it for you. You may not know how, but on the other side of it, you're gonna be saying, thank you, God, you've done it again. Is there anybody who received that by faith? That even though you in the midst of your trial, you not gonna wait for it to be over, but you are bold enough to tell God thank you now? But because I don't need the facts, I don't need the evidence. All I need is a history with my God, and when I look over my life, he's always been there.

We are here in Exodus chapter number 16. Children of Israel are about, are about a month from Egypt. Y'all know the story. Pharaoh and his army drowned in the Red Sea.

And so they're about one month post this. And y'all not gonna believe this because y'all saved and you've been serving the Lord a long time. So y'all gonna have trouble believing this, but after God had been good to the children of Israel and after he delivered them, these church folks complained. We should have stayed in Egypt because in Egypt we had some good meat and we had some good food. And the slavery wasn't really that bad because we ate good.

God heard it.

He said, you know what I got for them? They are out here complaining. I'm not going to destroy them, but since I delivered them, I'm gonna provide for them. Now they are out in the wilderness, and the Bible tells us that in this particular moment they are in a place called the Wilderness of Sin. And in this wilderness of sin, they, they do not have access to a grocery store. They do not have access to a stove. They don't have access to bow and arrows to be able to kill any meat or to be able to provide for themselves. And God says, that's exactly where I want. And the Bible says that God told Moses, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to provide some quail for him in the evening, and then morning time I'm gonna have something come down to the ground. And when it comes down to the ground, the dew is going to rise and they are going to be able to take up their daily bread. And God said, I'm not just going to do it one time, but I'm gonna do it every day. And on Saturday, which is the set— well, on Friday before the Sabbath, I want you to take up what you need for the next day. Did y'all catch that? That they didn't have to pray the same prayer every day, but God knew their daily needs before the day even came. Say it one more time, Gavin. God knew their daily need before each day even came. So that means that God already got your Monday taken care of. He's already got your Tuesday taken care of. Because I believe that I'm looking at somebody today who's already worried about a meeting you gotta go to. You already worried about somebody you gotta face. But God say, I already got tomorrow taken care of in today. So your job for today is to already thank me for tomorrow.

And that leads me, that leads me to this verse. God's true to his word.

Bible says that the next morning the dew rose and they saw a substance on the ground, and it said— they said, what is this? They didn't know what to name it, they didn't know what to call it, but all they can say is manna. Which means what is it. So if I give you a quiz later on and ask you what the word mana means, it means what is it. Y'all know the blessing in that is that even though I can't figure God out, I don't have to because he already got my situation figured out. Say it one more time, Gavin, you look handsome. Saying God says to us today that even though you can't figure life out, you don't have to because God got it figured out for you. In other words, smile right now because God's gonna get you on the other end where you're gonna say, what is this that God has done in my life? What is this where I went to the doctor feeling one way but I came out feeling better? What is this? Well, I used to be up all night stressed, but now I got a restful sleep. What is this? Well, I used to cuss you out real fast, but now I pray for you. I don't know what it is, but I'm thanking God today that even in my ignorance, he's informing me about him. What is he telling me to do, Gavin? He's telling me to trust him and do not doubt. He's telling me to put my faith in him.

He's telling me to keep on believing even when it don't look like it should. I know your question. I know your question.

Gavin, why did you come preach today? Y'all ready for me to tell you? I came to preach today to let you know that God uses places and problems of uncertainty to make you more certain about him. Say it one more time, Gavin, and say it real slow. Make sure you don't stutter like your dad. God uses situations and places of uncertainty to make you more certain about him. In other words, you are in a situation and a place that you can't explain, but even though you may not be able to explain the situation, God say it's going to teach you more about him. Let me survey the room. Anybody ever been going through something in your body and you don't know what it was that was going on, but look at you today. And now you know that no matter what doctor I go to, I know what God can touch me. Has there ever been anybody going— something going on your finances, you don't know why your washing machine broke today, why your refrigerator going out tomorrow, why your child needs something from school every day, and every single day it seems like it's nothing but you went to the store and you swiped your debit card, and by the grace of God it said accepted. Even though you don't know about that situation, you know about your God. That's, that's, that's what I'm trying to get to.

That's what I'm trying to get. There, there, there are a few. Herman, you got a light?

I'mma do my best to share with you about this text.

I got a decision to make. Y'all know what it is, but I'm going north or south of 167. Here it is.

Text teaches us today that God has a way of providing a sacred menu.

A sacred menu.

Can I show it to you?

Text.

I told you earlier that the word manna means 'what is it.' Therefore, in the wilderness, the children of Israel were eating food that came out of nowhere, and they don't know who cooked it. I'm looking at the ethnic background of the group in the room, and y'all know it's a certain question that we have, especially with foods like potato salad.

Before I eat it, who made it?

Don't you find it strange with your African-American self that these folks are eating food that they don't know where it came from. Not only do they not know where it came from, they have no clue what it is.

That bothers me because we know that we don't just eat anything from anybody.

So the critical question is, what has happened that made the children of Israel so blessed to to eat something that God had for them. Can I tell you, God used their scarcity to make them willing to accept his supply. Gavin R. Hemsley, you don't talk here today, boy. God used scarcity to make them willing to accept divine supply.

Gavin, don't say it so educated. All right, I won't.

In other words, when you get hungry enough, you'll eat stuff that you didn't know that you would eat before. Has there been anybody in the house today that you call yourself want to be picky eater? That you don't eat this and you don't eat that, but let that stomach growl real good just one time and you will find yourself eating things that you wouldn't normally eat.

With that being said, you know why that shouts me? Woo Lord!

Here's why it shouts me. The same God of your surplus is the same God of your shortage. Can I show it to you today? If it had not been for them being in a situation of scarcity, they would not have been willing to accept what God had for them. And since now they are in a place where they have no other option, God has given them something that was divinely orchestrated for them.

Here's the thing, and it's unfamiliar. Uh-oh.

We've been thinking that everything in every situation that is unfamiliar is from the devil, but this text teaches us that sometimes the unfamiliar is a gift that has been wrapped and mailed to you from heaven. And here's the thing, I know that God is a God who answers prayers. He's Jehovah Jireh, he's my provider, and God knows it's the truth and it is a reality. But guess what? Sometimes God will provide for you by giving you no other option. Help me argue the text, God, because if they had other options, they could have eaten strange food and they would have gone back to where they came from. But now, since God has delivered them, they are in a place where they have no other options. And God says the only option you have now is something that comes from me. I don't know who I'm talking to, but the best place you can be sometimes is in a place where you have no other option. This is the only job available, this is the only place available, this is the only apartment available, this is the only house available, and I'm thinking I have no other options, and that's not the case. God said, I'm just making it easy for you. Because if God left the decision up to us, we would make the convenient and the familiar choice. But God has somebody— I don't know who I'm talking to— God has somebody in a situation where everything around you looks unfamiliar, and God said, just trust me, it comes from me. And if you trust me, you will discover that I am the God who shall supply all of your needs.

He used their scarcity to supply them with what he had for them.

And somebody today, be encouraged by the fact that it feel like you don't have any more options. God said, that's the reason why, is because I'm in the option that you got. I mean, the option that you're gonna have. And if you would just take the option I'm giving you, you will see, God, how did you do something so amazing with something so simple? How can you do something so faithful with something unfamiliar? How can you blow my mind with little? How can you take my little and turn it into a lot? Who am I talking to? God says just appreciate the now in the unfamiliar.

I know you look like you ain't got no options.

I know you ain't unfamiliar, but God said they came from me. Because if I gave you too many choices, you would have picked what looked better, you would have picked what felt better, you would have picked something totally outside of my will. But God said, I care too much about you and I'm gonna make the decision easy for you. In business, uh, I don't eat this.

I really don't. I really don't. I really don't eat it. But, but people, people get crazy about this. Uh, uh, I'm not judging you. Your money, your decision, right? But people crave, uh, over the mac and cheese. Uh, uh, y'all remember, uh, Popeyes, uh, went— they got real popular. They've been serving chicken all these years, and then we went crazy because they start selling chicken sandwiches. We've been eating chicken sandwiches for years, but Popeyes start selling the chicken sandwich, and, and, you know, every now and then McDonald's will bring back, for a limited time only, the McRib, and people will get in line to get something.

Here's why: because they tell you it's for a limited time only.

Can I teach you something?

That's a marketing technique. Listen to me, it's called, uh, scarcity marketing. You remember you cheated off my paper and I gave you the answer?

It's called scarcity marketing.

And in scarcity marketing, here's what they do. With scarcity marketing, it's a tactic by the marketers saying that even though I could make the supply anytime I want, if I withhold it for a certain amount of time When I make it available, you gonna want it more. Who am I talking to today? God could supply whatever you want anytime he wants, but some of us, it takes us going into moments of scarcity because then we get closer to God. We start listening more. And God say, I don't want you to want what I got, I want you to want me. And when you want me enough, you can have anything I got.

And somebody say, I gotta quit. Somebody today may be dealing with scarcity.

I'm leaning south right now, but I'm gonna let you know the truth is I'm going north. Here it is, before I turn the car on.

Text also teaches us about a soothing map.— got a sacred menu, but a soothing map. It's something about this map that's very soothing. I'm gonna see if you've been paying attention. I know you ain't. They are in the wilderness of sin. S-I-N. It does not derive from seen, or you try to be too deep.

It's not what it means.

Wilderness of seen, it derives from Mount Sinai, which is where they are headed to. So they are not at the appointed place, but they're on their way, and comma, they are in a wilderness. In a wilderness with nothing, it did not prevent provision.

I said it too calm. Maybe I need to say it a little bit louder. The wilderness, which is a place of no provision did not prevent the provider from providing. And when you have the ultimate provider, when the atmosphere is not conducive for provision, he can still provide. I, I'm just curious, and I'm being nosy. I could never ask enough questions. Who in here has ever been in scene before where you've been in your wilderness place? But look at you now. I see you breathing, I see you moving, I see you moving and clapping, I see you blinking, and that lets me know there's a sign of life. And since you are alive today, you know what that means? That means that scene didn't take you out. Preach, Gavin Robert Hames! How many of you know that you've been through the wilderness, but the wilderness did not take you out? And the way— reason the wilderness did not take you out, because when God had you in the wilderness, he did not prevent provision from reaching you right there in your wilderness with them tears in your eyes. You ate after you got through crying. When you were stressed out, your blood pressure came down, you start eating again. And the reason being is because he still provided for you in the wilderness. You may be in sin this morning, but the question is, since I'm in sin, not if God are you going to take care of But I'm just curious now, that since I have no other way, how are you gonna do it, God? Because you are the one who promised me that you will supply my needs. You are the one who made the covenant with me. You are the one who saved me. And I'm convinced today that you did not save me to leave me by myself.

So, so perhaps in this developmental moment, God was teaching and developing faith in his new children. So this is how this thing here worked for me. You're not gonna always know the answers, but the less you know, the more you know me.

So, so, so, so, so, so, ma'am.

You know what that teaches me? We've always looked at this text about how God provided manna for the children. I want to suggest that God may have been providing the children for the manna because he was developing them to make them ready to receive what he had for them.

And somebody's in a season right now where God got a strange provision for you, but he's preparing you right now to receive your manna.

It's a Sudan map, right? It's a map that's Sudan.

Something about the map is that this wilderness here is going to be Sudan.

So we know—

well, let me not presume These children of Israel, they are—

they've come out of Egypt.

They're heading to a land what we know as Promised Land.

Uh, they are now in the wilderness of sin. There you go, Deaconess, I heard you. They're in the wilderness of sin, which means that they received a miracle in a place where they were not there, but God was progressing. Slow it down, Gavin. Many of us have our relationship with God predicated, and we think that the place of the miracle is there. Right? But God provides miracles in between. They left Egypt, they're in the wilderness. Don't you find it strange that God didn't give them a refrigerator in Egypt and give them the manna in Egypt, say, take this with you, and you spread this out, it'll last until you get there. God says, nope, I'm gonna do it in the wilderness.

I'm going to provide a miracle for you in a strange place.

Now, common sense— I'm not even being homiletical, I'm not being exegetical, I'm not being hermeneutical, I've been none of it, okay?

Common sense tells you that as human beings, the purpose of food is to nourish your body Why? Because she got somewhere else to go.

I'll play drums myself.

So here's the purpose of the miracle.

Whoo! Gavin, stay calm.

Miracles are not about my now. Miracles are given because God says you have a next. So when you shout for the miracle now, God said the only reason I did the miraculous for you is because eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the good things God has prepared for them. And somebody today Who's received a miracle needs to know that the only reason God gave you the miracle is for you to keep on marching, because God says more, more, more, more, more, next, next, next. And don't think up in the miracle now, but thank him while you keep on marching forward. Somebody need to hear that. I'm gonna be nosy.

I want you to lift your hand, know if I'm preaching to the right room.

Anybody here ever received a miracle? Let me ask you, let me— has anybody received a miracle lately? Oh, you need to be shouting even more because God ain't just give you a miracle so you can show up today, but God got a promised land for you. And he said, I'm gonna help you in a place of the wilderness. And when you get the miracle in the wilderness, that means I got a promise for you in the future. In other words, God ain't done with you yet.

Oh, I gotta get out there. I'm done, I'm done. I sweated enough.

I ain't gonna do that today because I got this new facial cleanser I tried last night. I, I, I, I'm, I'm trying to find somebody in the text. It's—

it was kind of simple at first, and I thought I had bread from heaven, right?

Bread from heaven. And he's the bread of life. And so the manna, the 'what is this?' that was a question in Exodus, it was answered in Mary's womb. Can I be Christological in my argument this morning? So it's easy to see Jesus in the text, but I had to go back to my childhood, and something else bothered me in this text. At the end of the day, really, really, take all the sanctified imagination out of it, I'm done. At the end of the day, God— I almost accused God of giving him— giving them some contaminated food. Can I show it to you? Where they at?

In the wilderness of Sin. Some bread fell on the ground and they ate it.

Now, I'm a disciple of the 5-second rule. But I don't see Moses saying, God bless the germs, and then eat it. God said, you're thinking right, Devin, that's who I am. Notice the details of the text. Go ahead and read it and prove me wrong. I always read this text and thought that just the manna fell from the sky, but it's somebody else in the story. The story says that it came down and dew came down and the dew lifted, and then they saw the bread and said, what is this? Let me preach it again. I'm gonna ask you what I said earlier. Bread came from heaven, went down to the dirt. And then the mist came up off of it, and it was purified and gave life. Can I paint it one more time? Because I feel like it was not just bread falling, but bread came down with dew. And if you could not see the bread for the dew, that means that the bread was buried. And when the bread was buried and got back up again. Preach, Kevin! It gave life to the children of God. And I want to let somebody know today, there was some bread that came from heaven, it went to the dirt, and when it got from the dirt, it was cleansed and purified and gave eternal life. I'm done. I don't feel like doing no more. We offer Jesus. I want to apologize to the dew because I've ignored the dew all these years. But God said that's what the trick is right there. It wasn't just bread that failed, it was buried bread that failed. And me, he died. Didn't he die? Didn't they crucify my Jesus? Didn't they put nails in his hands? Then they put a crown of thorns around his head. Didn't they crucify him? Didn't they bury him in a borrowed tomb? But didn't he get up that third day with power in his hands? And you don't know what time it was, you don't know how he did it, but that ignorance is all information that you need.

I want you to know In these uncertain times, be certain about it.

If I was to sing, I would say, be very sure, be very sure.

It ain't the holes, it's the solid rock.

Who is the rock? That rock is Jesus.